Thread: Best Crafting Vocation for Captain?

Greetings:

This is a noobie question. I started a new captain today and was wondering, which crafting vocation meets the day-to-day needs of a captain in the best way?

I know that we should pick whatever seems most fun, but the most fun to me would be having the captain himself getting the most from his own crafting vocation.

I was thinking armsman or metalsmith but I wanted to ask the experts. Thanks.

I'm not sure there's a best vocation for that class.. as a Captain's needs are no different, except for no need for a bow, and it's a heavy armor class.

My cap is an Armsman, though I ended up getting armor and weapons from other crafters on the way up.

Originally Posted by Arborius

Greetings:

This is a noobie question. I started a new captain today and was wondering, which crafting vocation meets the day-to-day needs of a captain in the best way?

I know that we should pick whatever seems most fun, but the most fun to me would be having the captain himself getting the most from his own crafting vocation.

I was thinking armsman or metalsmith but I wanted to ask the experts. Thanks.

Consumables are mostly where its at in the endgame I think (and I say this as someone who has a SM kindred armorer on their only toon). The thing is, the top tier armor is, well, useless, as the various Radiance armor sets dominate. On the other hand, people need to keep supplied with consumables like scrolls, healing/power pots, tokens, food of various sorts, etc. Armor is particularly lame in that you level so fast that the lovely teal suit that costs you shards/etc all too rapidly becomes obsolete, and you can get quite adequate armor from quest rewards and the AH. The only real benefit I see in armorer at the top end is that I crafted enough 3rd age level 65 class LIs to get myself a very nice one. And making the occasional crafted relic for LI is nice as well.

That said, do whatever suits your fancy. It is a game, if you enjoy the idea of wearing armor you made yourself it is a good choice. If not, I'd suggest Tinker. You can make jewelry for yourself (and crafted jewelry is still among the best in the game), and can make food though you need a friendly farmer for some mats I guess.

I would have to agree that probably the best professions in the long run are the following:

1. Scholar
2. Cook
3. Jeweller

You don't need wooden weapons or light/medium armour, so Woodworker and Tailor are out. You could possibly make good use of Weaponsmithing or Metalsmithing into the mid 50s, but LIs and radiance armour will make those professions obsolete.

My advice would be to choose Tinker on your Captain and join the Jeweller's Guild. Then roll a lowbie alt as a Yeoman or Historian to sit in the Shire and farm for you.

Originally Posted by Arborius

Greetings:

This is a noobie question. I started a new captain today and was wondering, which crafting vocation meets the day-to-day needs of a captain in the best way?

I know that we should pick whatever seems most fun, but the most fun to me would be having the captain himself getting the most from his own crafting vocation.

I was thinking armsman or metalsmith but I wanted to ask the experts. Thanks.

I fully mastered Armouror (metalsmith/tailor/prospecting). I make over half of all my equipped gear that way, always trying to become proficient in a crafting level at toon level and making the best crit stuff for myself, then selling the rest. Metalsmithing covers your usual heavy armour but also your captain emblem LI and relics. Tailoring covers cloaks and your captain herald armaments and standards. I've also made plenty of gold plying all three trades within the vocation, particularly low-mid-level crit gear and occasionally ores.

However, I don't end-game either. If you intend to run a lot of instances/raid, then consumables will be more useful to you. Whatever you like.

Originally Posted by Arborius

Greetings:

This is a noobie question. I started a new captain today and was wondering, which crafting vocation meets the day-to-day needs of a captain in the best way?

I know that we should pick whatever seems most fun, but the most fun to me would be having the captain himself getting the most from his own crafting vocation.

I was thinking armsman or metalsmith but I wanted to ask the experts. Thanks.

It isn't about the classes but about how much money you want to do..

My first cappy is Armswomen

Second is a cash maker (*cough* tinker *cough*)

To be blunt.

The main reason why you may not want to go into Weaponsmithing is because of the Legendary Item system, which effectively neutered high-level Weaponsmithing, as far as I'm concerned (or starting at around level 45, for those folks who are burning through that content). The LI lottery aspect dampens too much of this craft at a certain point, I think, though you can still sell low-mid weapons.

But, well, it's good to think about the big picture. Do you enjoy crafting for yourself? For sale? Because if you're only into the money, then a basic piece of advice you'll find practically everywhere is to just go with Explorer.

Originally Posted by Trilwych

To be blunt.

The main reason why you may not want to go into Weaponsmithing is because of the Legendary Item system, which effectively neutered high-level Weaponsmithing, as far as I'm concerned (or starting at around level 45, for those folks who are burning through that content). The LI lottery aspect dampens too much of this craft at a certain point, I think, though you can still sell low-mid weapons.

But, well, it's good to think about the big picture. Do you enjoy crafting for yourself? For sale? Because if you're only into the money, then a basic piece of advice you'll find practically everywhere is to just go with Explorer.

Actually i really appreciate the armmen vocation for the LI crafting (well i got all the craft on my 'main server').. Yes the drop is something but i rolled a few good wpn from crafting ..


Though i have got an effin Symbol for the lv65, but IDC...

Originally Posted by MorningStarSE

Actually i really appreciate the armmen vocation for the LI crafting (well i got all the craft on my 'main server').. Yes the drop is something but i rolled a few good wpn from crafting ..


Though i have got an effin Symbol for the lv65, but IDC...

Fair enough.
It really just comes down to what you value as a crafter.

I value being able to use my own stuff with my "Made by--" label, and I'm glad LotRO crafted gear is just fine for landscape questing and small instances. Money is actually secondary to me, though I have plenty. Tinker is a great vocation because every single class can use it, and you can still make seven slots for yourself.

I go for consumables. Tinker or Historian.

Well, with the F2P+MT hybrid model announcement, let's look at what Turbine is going to sell with "points."

I think I saw "health potions" as an option. Hmm?
I have no idea how consumable MTs will affect the game--most people will assume negatively (especially for crafters), and I can see that argument. On the other hand, I think plenty of folks will also argue that paying real money for consumables is dumb, so they won't do that.

Time for people to get into beta and make sure crafting isn't hurt too badly?

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

I have a Lore Master who is a scholar already, so my Captain is now a tinker!

From all I've read, though, I hope LOTRO puts some more useful craftable items in the top tier for Armsmen and Armoursmiths if weapons and armor are obsolete at 65...or else it would seem everyone would wind up becoming scholars and tinkers.

Originally Posted by Arborius

From all I've read, though, I hope LOTRO puts some more useful craftable items in the top tier for Armsmen and Armoursmiths if weapons and armor are obsolete at 65...or else it would seem everyone would wind up becoming scholars and tinkers.

Or cooks. I'm about to start another alt on the grind to Supreme Master Kindred Cook, just so I can easily make stacks of the crit foods. That stuff is HANDY!

I have done well with the Historian Crafting class and Scholar keeps potions, and scrolls available for little cost to me and dyes to have my character look more the way I like. Also have enjoyed the ability to craft weapons and have done that for myself over the levels.

I would really suggest Historian

Originally Posted by Cloudie-wan

Or cooks. I'm about to start another alt on the grind to Supreme Master Kindred Cook, just so I can easily make stacks of the crit foods. That stuff is HANDY!

It is sure that thinker isn`t a good choice..

I chose explorer because I didn't really know anything about the crafting system. My Captain obviously doesn't benefit from anything I make (aside from a few cosmetics and the banners), but it brings in decent cash and has helped supply my alts with cheap armor. I wouldn't necessarily recommend going explorer on a heavy armor class to anyone else, but if you have alts or plan on making some, it does bring in good cash at the very least.

Originally Posted by Arborius

This is a noobie question. I started a new captain today and was wondering, which crafting vocation meets the day-to-day needs of a captain in the best way?

I know that we should pick whatever seems most fun, but the most fun to me would be having the captain himself getting the most from his own crafting vocation.

I made my Captain a historian.

The major reason is that this character is intended for group play. When running around in a group that stops to collect resources it is silly to go after ore nodes and wood like most characters and I get at the Scholar nodes.

The main disadvantage of this is that as a non-Elf you don't have "return to Rivendell" to efficiently go to the superiour study and the scholar's guild. Mathom house rep gets you a superiour study in Michel Delving but then the guild reputation items pile up in the bags.

It makes good money and you could buy ores for leveling the weaponsmith in there, but you only make money from the higher tiers of scholar and the tin/bronze in particular is hard to get. A solution is to be some kind of prospector until level 20. That way you collect ores for the weaponsmith and you also collect copper salts in large quantities, that actually allows you to level the apprentice scholar better than collecting tier 1 scholar nodes.

Metalsmith is an option, just keep in mind that high armour value doesn't really buy you that much in combat value. In practice you don't re-outfit with new sets of crafted armour every couple of levels. Tools are nice but sell nowhere as good as cook or scholar consumables.

Or be a woodsman and always beat things with a 2H club